In order to study the process of human scar maturation and understand the effect of motion and load on overall scar quality, direct non-destructive monitoring must be done. A contact transducer which provides direct readout of the stress strain characteristics of skin using a strip biaxial test mode operated at constant strain rate in stress relaxation has been developed. It will be used to check various proposed theoretical models for the mechanical properties of human skin and to assist in the development of an improved model. This technique will also permit the quantitative serial evaluation of the rheological behavior of maturing burn scar non-destructively in patients. If the effect of motion and load on scar can be determined then therapy can be programmed to minimize contracture and hypertrophy and produce scar of maximum quality and function with a concommitant decrease in the cost to the patient, in dollars, pain and time lost from work.